Claiming the 75% refund from Qantas for Being Downgraded or Inoperative Seat

[RooFlyer]

Qantas offers a 75% refund in the event you are downgraded or have an in-op seat. And this has been the case for some time now.

I've just had a revenue business flight cancelled and I'm on economy next flight.

What's the process for getting the 75% refund, please? No-one at the airport knew, so I called Qantas premium. Told to call 1300 659 161 during business hours after I take the flight.

That sound right? If so, pretty outrageous that you have to ask for it.

Not terribly important, but the downgrade e-mail advice said I'll still get original SCs etc. If I ask for the refund, would this be negated?

 

[Flyfrequently]

I've just had a revenue business flight cancelled and I'm on economy next flight

Not terribly important, but the downgrade e-mail advice said I'll still get original SCs etc. If I ask for the refund, would this be negated?

Can only relay my experience with a downgrade from business to economy on a QF codeshare Bangkok Airways @RooFlyer in 2024.
Had to email frequentflyer after flight was flown.
Given $700 refund (2 pax) to credit card.
Also $400 courtesy credit with 3 years validity
Once refund and courtesy credit came through, I then requested ORC.
No issue, came through a few days later.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've just had a revenue business flight cancelled and I'm on economy next flight.

What's the process for getting the 75% refund, please? No-one at the airport knew, so I called Qantas premium. Told to call 1300 659 161 during business hours after I take the flight.

That sound right? If so, pretty outrageous that you have to ask for it.

Not terribly important, but the downgrade e-mail advice said I'll still get original SCs etc. If I ask for the refund, would this be negated?

Applying for it after the flight makes sense as there’s always the possibility your seat could be reinstated.

And I guess applying for it also means you know something is being done, instead of waiting and guessing?

 

[SYD]

I've just had a revenue business flight cancelled and I'm on economy next flight.

What's the process for getting the 75% refund, please? No-one at the airport knew, so I called Qantas premium. Told to call 1300 659 161 during business hours after I take the flight.

That sound right? If so, pretty outrageous that you have to ask for it.

Not terribly important, but the downgrade e-mail advice said I'll still get original SCs etc. If I ask for the refund, would this be negated?

We received SMS and then an email relating to an involuntary downgrade. Didn’t need to do anything.

The email arrived a couple of hours after the text. I guess there was no hope of reinstatement because it was PE to whY and the replacement aircraft didn’t have PE at all (hence the downgrade).

How long ago did you get word of the cancellation?

How far off is the flight?

 

[RooFlyer]

How far off is the flight?

Flight was this morning (some comments in the Hobart Qantas Club thread). Cancelled at T-110 (flight from SYD returned to SYD) and advised of cancellation by text 10 mins later (Flighty told me that it had diverted back). No further texts. Notified of new flight/economy cabin later about 15 mins after that by e-mail. Another e-mail 15 mins later with new flight details. Another e-mail 45 mins later noting the cabin change. This is the one that says I'll get original SCs etc. But nothing about refund.

Ah, Just noticed a refund request link in the second e-mail and it says a fare 'adjustment refund' will be made within 14 days. Use the link if not received.

So fair enough; I looked for a link etc in the 'downgrade' e-mail. But the advice from the Qantas premium line was wrong, again.
.

 

[RooFlyer]

Following the link in the provided email:

https://www.qantas.com/en-au/help/contact-us/complaints-feedback-claim-form

Can anyone see an entitlement to a refund for a Cabin downgrade there?





Can anyone see any mention of 75% there?

I don’t doubt that the 75% thing is real ( is it? ) But if they don’t give it to me, I’ve got nothing to fall back on because the website says nothing about it.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The official source if you need it:

Involuntary Downgrade

These guidelines outline the notification, rebooking, ticket reissue and fare adjustment process for you to follow when your customer has been affected by an operational change resulting in an involuntary downgrade of the cabin.

www.qantas.com

You’re asking for a fare adjustment for an involuntary downgrade, rather than a refund.

 

[RooFlyer]

The official source if you need it:

Involuntary Downgrade

These guidelines outline the notification, rebooking, ticket reissue and fare adjustment process for you to follow when your customer has been affected by an operational change resulting in an involuntary downgrade of the cabin.

www.qantas.com

You’re asking for a fare adjustment for an involuntary downgrade, rather than a refund.

Great, thank you. Just wondrous that they put this to their agents but not the bloody customers.

Oh, I haven’t said before, but this was a domestic flight.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Okay, I’ve read that now and as you say it’s an agent‘s form. So how do I get it to apply to me?

Call, or write in, asking for your fare adjustment, and copy the above information if necessary.

they gave you a number to call during business hours, which might a special team?

 

[transpactraveller]

How does this 75% get calculated on multi-sector international-domestic trips where just the domestic sector is downgraded?

Years ago I was booked LAX-MEL-SYD and missed the MEL-SYD flight due to the international flight arriving about 90 mins late. Was rebooked into Y on a later flight and remember the lounge agent saying all flights were fully booked and I was lucky to even get that Y seat! Was never offered or provided a part-refund or 'fare adjustment' for that, but maybe I never knew to ask for it. Interested how they would have calculated it though because at the time of booking LAX-MEL-SYD was cheaper than LAX-SYD and don't think it was much more than LAX-MEL !

 

[MEL_Traveller]

How does this 75% get calculated on multi-sector international-domestic trips where just the domestic sector is downgraded?

Years ago I was booked LAX-MEL-SYD and due to 90 min late arrival of the international flight I had to be rebooked onto a later domestic flight MEL-SYD. Was rebooked into Y and lounge agent said all flights were fully booked and I was lucky to even get that Y seat! Pretty sure I never got a part-refund or 'fare adjustment' for that, but maybe I never knew to try requesting it. Interested how they would have calculated it though because at the time of booking LAX-MEL-SYD was cheaper than LAX-SYD, though not sure if it was more than LAX-MEL !

Under the old system that was probably ‘correct’ according to the policy at the time. Domestic add-on flights rarely had any value in and of themselves.

It’s not clear how they would calculate it under the new system, but EU261 perhaps sets the example. They take the percentage based in miles of the total ticket, and redund 75% of that.

So if you paid $1000 for a ticket of 1000 miles, and the downgraded sector was 200 miles, you’d get 75% of $200.

Not sure how else they could calculate it in Australia?

 

[RooFlyer]

they gave you a number to call during business hours, which might a special team?

1300 659161, 9-5 weekdays. Enter you FF number to get the Premium team.

BUT it’s moot now. Just got a ping at the gate and upgraded regraded to Business.

I guess others may find this thread and find it useful.

 

[elanshin]

I've just had a revenue business flight cancelled and I'm on economy next flight.

What's the process for getting the 75% refund, please? No-one at the airport knew, so I called Qantas premium. Told to call 1300 659 161 during business hours after I take the flight.

That sound right? If so, pretty outrageous that you have to ask for it.

Not terribly important, but the downgrade e-mail advice said I'll still get original SCs etc. If I ask for the refund, would this be negated?

For reference, inoperable a380 J seat. Offered the policy (this was just before it became published).

Took a couple of days for someone to follow up. Then about another week before various things rolled in (like $400 GV).

 

[MattKiehne]

I've just had 3 x business class fares downgraded due to aircraft change over the past few weeks. These were all booked during double SC offer.
2 notifications came well before the flights and one was the night before.
I had to ring through to QFF and be passed through multiple hands to get 75% refund and then to get the correct SC plus double SC added to account.
Each time is 30-40mins on the phone.
Never had a single BC fare downgraded with VA but QF seems to be doing it a lot right now and the responsibility for the refund and correct SC and FF points seems to lie with me, not the airline.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've just had 3 x business class fares downgraded due to aircraft change over the past few weeks. These were all booked during double SC offer.
2 notifications came well before the flights and one was the night before.
I had to ring through to QFF and be passed through multiple hands to get 75% refund and then to get the correct SC plus double SC added to account.
Each time is 30-40mins on the phone.
Never had a single BC fare downgraded with VA but QF seems to be doing it a lot right now and the responsibility for the refund and correct SC and FF points seems to lie with me, not the airline.

That’s a run of bad luck!

But a good outcome that you got the 75% back and original status credits!

Unfortunately it’s pretty much the way with most businesses… even if I have a faulty product K still need to take it back to the shop and claim the refund.

QF doesn’t do it automatically because there’s always the chance your seat could be reinstated, as happened to another member upthread.